Art Stages Resources

Scribbles may not make any sense to an adult. They look like a lot of lines, loops, and squiggles. But these marks are very important to a young child. They are a child's way of writing her thoughts. Drawing and scribbling are the first steps in using the skills children will need later for writing.

Young children's first writing is scribbling. They scribble up and down and around with pencils, markers, chalk, paint brushes, and even their fingers. Most adults tend to disregard this early stage of writing, saying: "Oh, it's only scribbling." But scribbling is to writing what babbling is to speaking: an early stage of children's development that should be encouraged.

Earlychildhood NEWS is the online resource for teachers and parents of young children, infants to age 8. You will find articles about developmentally appropriate practice, child health, safety and behavior as well as links to teacher resources and networking opportunities.

One who works with young children must know the different stages children go through in the development of art abilities. These stages are called "developmental levels." A developmental level is a guide to knowing what a child can do in art at different ages, but it is not a strict guideline.

Your child just spent five minutes scribbling on a sheet of paper and then proceeded to tell you about the amazing picture she created. As you nod your head in mock understanding while she explains the dragon, castle, and trees in her scribbling, you wonder what IS really going on, and if your child ever will actually draw the things she is describing.

Creative play and artistic activity are important to children's overall development. They help nurture imagination, and also develop problem-solving, thinking and motor skills. School children start to learn that some problems have a single solution (two plus two always equals four). They also develop skills for finding the right result for a given problem.

Immy (3 1/2 years): I want to draw this flower in my field journal. Me: Okay then. Immy: But I can't. Will you draw it for me? Me: I think you can. Let's look at the shapes of the flower. I can see circles in this flower and you know how to draw circles.

At this stage, children also begin to see the connection between their movements and the marks they make. Before this time, children's scribbles were the result of the sheer pleasure of moving their arms and hands. Now children connect those motions to their art-work. Children may even begin to name their drawings at this stage.

Understanding the stages of artistic development can help you become better at creating art. It can also help you become a more effective art teacher. We develop artistically. Just like we develop other skills like talking and walking in stages, we develop artistic skills in the same way.

Parents know the magic that a simple coloring book and a pack of crayons can work on a screaming toddler. But did you know that those random-looking scribbles are an important developmental step along your child's path to reading and writing? As early as 15 months, children enter the first of what's called the 5 Stages of Scribbling.

Each of these stages refers to a combination of visual characteristics found in the art work of children. "Developmental-Stage" theory assumes that the stages occur in a sequential order. Little attempt has been made to relate these stages of growth in art directly to chronological age because so many factors contribute to the child's development in art.

(2 to 4 years) The Scribble stage is made up of four sub-stages. (a) Disordered - uncontrolled markings that could be bold or light depending upon the personality of the child. At this age the child has little or no control over motor activity. (b) Longitudinal - controlled repetitions of motions.